Grab Philippines has launched the Women Program, part of its GrabAsenso campaign, to support women in the country become driver-partners on the Grab platform.
GrabAsenso is a broader initiative aimed at improving the lives of Grab’s driver, delivery, and merchant partners by leveraging its presence, technology, and partner network for positive effects on livelihood, skills development, and gender equality.
Specific to the Women Program, Grab Philippines is working to make it easier for women to access earning opportunities as Grab driver-partners. This aligns with Grab’s mission to promote economic empowerment in Southeast Asia. The Women Program addresses specific challenges women face in driving, aiming to enhance gender equality and encourage more women to participate and benefit from the Grab platform.
“As a female leader in what many regard as a male-dominated space, I am committed to rallying everyone at Grab, especially all female leaders, to create more opportunities for womankind—lifting more people as we rise as leaders and as a company,” shared Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz.
“This ethos is deeply rooted in our philosophy that growth is not just about business and operations; it’s about responsible, inclusive, and empathetic growth. One that brings Filipinos to a world where everyone thrives regardless of background or gender,” she added.
Overcoming barriers
Based on surveys and discussions done with Grab’s existing women driver-partners, it was found that women often hesitate to join the platform due to societal beliefs that driving is not suitable for them, that they have sociocultural roles at home they need to fulfill, and a general lack of confidence. Common concerns include handling various consumers, understanding the digital aspects of the driver app, and dealing with unexpected situations like vehicle breakdowns.
To help women overcome these barriers and succeed on the Grab platform, the Women Program will provide customized training programs and community activities.
There will be tailored training modules that will cover topics to address common concerns such as vehicle maintenance and servicing, customer service, defensive driving, Women Protection and Policy, Gender-Fair Languages and Images, Safe Space Act, and basic first aid.
While most of these training modules require hands-on practice, bite-sized e-learning content is also made available via the GrabAcademy on the Grab Driver App.
Grab will also facilitate the setting up of communities to enable new and existing women partners to connect, share, and support one another.
In addition, offline activities will also be organized. Among the key celebrations with women driver-partners this March is the Babae Ako, Babiyahe Ako event on March 17, where women driver-partners will be recognized on various merits, including passenger ratings, ride completion, and years of ride-hailing experience.
As part of its Women program, Grab is also testing a new “Women Passengers Preferred BETA” feature. Available on the Grab driver-app to women driver-partners only from March 8, the feature enables women partners to indicate their preference for women passengers. When the feature is toggled on, it increases the chances of matching a woman driver-partner with a woman passenger, if there is a woman passenger in the vicinity.
To raise awareness for the program, Grab has also launched its #WomenWelcome campaign in conjunction with International Women’s Day. Part of this includes a brand thematic film that acknowledges the invisible hurdles that prevent women from driving for a living, and how Grab is working towards making driving more suitable for women.
Grab’s Women Program will be rolled out in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines and Indonesia in the first half of 2024.
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